Palo Alto compost center advocates score victory

Palo Alto voters had an unambiguous answer Tuesday to a question that has split local environmentalists into two bitterly opposed camps.

Yes, they said with their ballots, the city should set aside 10 of Byxbee Park's 126 acres for a possible state-of-the-art composting center. Measure E sailed to victory with about 64.4 percent of the vote.

"We had a strong feeling we were going to win, but not by a landslide," said an exuberant Peter Drekmeier, who championed the divisive ballot initiative with fellow sustainability advocate Walt Hays.

"Palo Altans wanted to be responsible for their own waste and convert it into a valuable resource."

Measure E did not push a particular project. Rather, it set aside land for the purpose of building a facility capable of processing yard trimmings, food scraps and sewage sludge from the Regional Water Quality Control Plant. It will ultimately fall on the council to vet and approve a project.

If the council elects to do nothing within the next 10 years, the parcel will be rolled back into Byxbee Park. Voters, however, have the option of holding an election to rededicate it sooner.

Supporters argued during the campaign that building a composting center to handle the three waste streams could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 13 tons annually. Opponents questioned that figure, citing a city task force's findings that the savings would be minimal.

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Both sides also clashed over the projected price tag, with opponents arguing the facility could cost up to $169 million over 20 years and that the city's practice of sending yard waste to Sunnyvale and food scraps to San Jose is cost effective. Advocates, on the other hand, claimed the city would actually end up saving $18 million over the same time frame.

Measure E supporters pointed out that the land is hardly pristine. Like the rest of Byxbee Park, the brown and barren parcel is part of the city's shuttered landfill. It's location next to the water quality control plant makes it ideal for an anaerobic digester, they said.

But opponents view the acreage as vital to Byxbee's transformation into a regional park like Mountain View's Shoreline. Besides, they said, a composting center would spoil the serenity of Palo Alto's newest open space.

Enid Pearson, who spearheaded the No on Measure E campaign with fellow park advocate Emily Renzel, said the election results were disappointing. But she is far from ready to call it quits.

"People have to be apprised of what they voted for. As the other side has often said, this is just the beginning of the battle," Pearson said. "This simply can't be built. It's far too expensive. They'll find that out, but it'll take millions of dollars."